The St. Louis Cardinals are not waiting around to load up on talent this offseason.
There have been reports that the Cardinals will be aggressive early into the free agency period, which opened Monday afternoon. While those moves will be for major splashes, they made an under-the-radar move that could prove to be a steal.
St. Louis claimed infielder/outfielder Jared Young from their rival Chicago Cubs on Monday, the team announced.
The 28-year-old has limited big-league action but already has done some damage. He's hit .210 with seven extra-base hits including two home runs, eight RBIs and a .725 OPS in just 22 games for the Cubs between 2022 and 2023.
More importantly, Young hit .310 with 39 extra-base hits including 21 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .994 OPS in just 90 games for Triple-A Iowa last season.
Young has played every position except center field and catcher in his minor league career but has the most experience playing first base, third base and corner outfield.
Waiver claims aren't usually worth getting excited about but Young has a high upside that was absolutely worth taking a lottery ticket on. Having a versatile fielder with 20+ home run power while hitting for average would be a complete game-changer.
Young will certainly be a player to monitor in spring training and beyond.
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